Neglected Blog/FBD Winner!

I really must apologize for not posting the Fresh Brewed Designs Blog Hop winner sooner. My winner is Fink. Things have been pretty hectic lately.

Today we're in Detroit for the start of Tim's 3rd drug trial, let's hope this one is a charm! I'm so tired I did sleep a little when I first got here. Then breakfast was delivered.

The other day I finally got my Christmas newsletter done so I've been getting Christmas cards written. Sunday I did a craft show and I did not do very well at all. Mitchell went with me to the craft sale and was bummed as well. I guess I can look on the bright side that I have quite a few Christmas cards already made to send out. I'd like to start an online shop for my cards, etc. but will have to see how that will all work out.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day and is all ready for Christmas! I am so not ready and not sure I will be since it's already next Friday!!!

Kicked Out!

Ok so the title isn't exactly the truth, but it grabbed your attention, am I right?

Yesterday we went to Karmanos for Tim's infusion. On Friday last week he had a CT scan. So we were met in the hallway by one of Dr. Heath's nurses. She told us Tim needed to go to the 5th floor for his labs not the lab on the 1st floor, as he was previously told. Then we were to go back downstairs for the appt with Dr. Heath. After a little chit chat she told us the results of his CT scan. Yes, you guessed it, his lesions are growing. They are not growing fast and did not meet the 20% growth that is protocol for being kicked out of the drug trial. However, it was about a 14% overall growth. So Tim decided to stop this drug trial and wait for the next one. The positive thing is that Tim is fairly healthy and that Karmanos has 70+ drug trials. So it shouldn't be long before they find another one for him. The other positive thing is that he does not have any new lesions. Mentally this always takes us a day or two to get through. I think it's just a loss of anything there is a grieving process. I told him not to get down about it, but who cried on the way home yesterday...yeah me. So that's where we're at right now. I have also heard about unemployment being extended again. It's kind of confusing to decipher if I will get it or not. I highly doubt it, it would be nice this time of year to have that, as things are really tough.

Things will get better I know they will!

Karmanos Cancer Center

Today I'm here with Tim at Karmanos and while logging onto my laptop I found out that Karmanos is now on Twitter. So I clicked their follow button and found on a previous tweet that there are some Karmanos youtube videos. So I thought maybe you might be interested in seeing where we go once or twice a week. The video that isn't about just one person shows a lot of Karmanos, the doors we walk through to get to Phase 1 unit. And the hallways we go through to get to here. Also if you have the time watch the other videos. Here is the link Karmanos
Hope your Monday is going great!

House Mouse Monday Challenge is Back!

Woohoo! I have so many of these cute mousies, bunnies and bears I just need to use them! Wow I just read that this is challenge #50 that means they've been doing this for a year now. Well since they took a break, it's a little over a year. Congrats! The House Mouse challenge for this week is to make a gift card holder. I thought oh man, simple, but then I was making it too hard. I went searching for a template and ended up just looking at the DT submissions on house mouse and came up with my own. The first one got torn apart partially and then made better. I like the lower pocket so you can see part of the gift card. The second one was too well stuck together to tear apart. I used Basic Grey's June Bug paper, Making Memories and Bazzill cardstock. I just had to make two since they went together so quickly...well after I figured out what I was doing! So here are my gift card holders.

Tim started his second drug trial yesterday. We were in Detroit all day. Today he has to go back for a checkup and skin biopsies. Friday he goes back again. Not quite as intensive as the last one (trips to Detroit I mean). But hopefully this one will work! At least they have 70+ drug trials available, so when one doesn't work we go to the next. I also read last night that Karmanos, Promedica (Toledo Healthcare institution) and Mercy Memorial hospital of Monroe are going to join forces and have a cancer clinic in Monroe. That'll be great because Monroe is only 20-30 mins from here. The only thing is I don't believe Mercy Memorial has that great of a reputation. The story is here if you'd like to read it. So we'll have to see how it turns out. We'd probably still end up going to Detroit. But maybe some of the services or classes will be in Monroe. Then we'd more likely be able to attend. They have a scrapbooking night now, but it's too far to drive on a weekly basis.

Well best go get Tim outta bed so we can get up there and back. I have a test in Language of Medicine and that class is at 6pm! Already notified the instructor what was up and that I may be late. She emailed back and said it was not a problem.

Have a wonderful Wednesday and thanks for stopping by to visit!!!

First Stampavie Challenge

I was encouraged by my friend Carolyn to give the Stampavie challenge a try. She says I know you like doing altered type items. She told me there was a bag tutorial by Lauren Meader and as you know if it's a Lauren Meader tutorial you know it'll be good. So I hopped on over to Stampavie from Carolyn's blog and printed off the tut. It didn't take long and I figured out what paper I wanted to use. I bought this Cloud Nine paper a year or so ago and haven't had the heart to use it. I mean photos on top of it would cover up it's beauty. I thought it would be perfect for a bag like this though, you can see it's pretty print/sparkle all around the bag. Luckily my friend Priscilla gifted me with some Sarah Kay stamped images awhile back. So I picked out one that I thought might not be too intimidating. I really wish I had a prisma color pencil that was the color of the aqua on the paper. I think flowers out of that color would have matched so much better. I did add some extra sparkle by covering them with Doodlebug Sugar.



Monday we were going to stop by a friend's on the way back from going to Tim's Karmanos visit. So I thought I'd whip up another bag and give it to her. She is planning on doing a card and bookmark workshop for cancer patients, friends and family this month. So I included a few more Cancer Cannot stamped images for her in the bag. She like Tim is a cancer survivor. I had this image of the bunny with the watermelon already colored and went through some of my paper and came up with this perfect one. It's BoBunny's Ella Precocious line from a year or so ago. Love the summery print! The Hero Arts Art Flowers and Petaloo flowers were the perfect addition. I forgot to include a ribbon. Charlotte liked it a lot and kept exclaiming at different times during our visit this is so cute!



So that's it for now. I hope your Thursday is fabulous. I have an appt with an advisor and later Tim goes to Karmanos for a CT scan, so I guess I'd better get busy.

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge & Updates

I've been busy creating cards for Cards for Heroes. I decided to look up One Sheet Wonder to see if I could make some cards quicker. I felt like I was behind in my promise to make some cards for CFH. So I found a couple of templates and thought I'd give them a try. I didn't cut the first one out quite right, turned the paper or something, but of course that doesn't mean that I can't use the paper. So that is why you'll see a few different papers. I started with the one and then went to the other and then decided to add another for some variety. So I can't tell you exactly how many cards I got from one 12x12 page this time. Double sided paper like the MME and Graphic 45 paper I chose works so nicely, because you have more choices. Here are the photos of the cards and the one card works for the Stamptacular Sunday challenge #15.


Here are the rest of the cards that I did. I made these last Monday while at Karmanos. Then I just had to add some decoration to each of the fronts.



I was also able to do a LO of Mitch when he was about 2.5 yrs old. I entered it in the Cosmo Cricket challenge on scrapbook.com. I actually started it last month, but with all that has been going on in our lives it took me this long to finish. I'm glad I was able to use it for this month's challenge which was to have 2 or more photos on the LO.

Also this week Hero Arts has been having some fabulous giveaways to mark their new and improved website and blog. I follow them on Twitter and I re-tweeted regarding their upcoming new and improved site and I won a Design Block. I've been eyeing one up at Hobby Lobby, but just can't swing it right now. So it was so sweet to see that I had won! So excited to see what one they send me. Here is the one I've been eyeing. The only thing is I do not see it in their 2009 catalog. Oh well they have plenty other fabulous Design blocks! So stop by the Hero Arts blog or add Hero Arts to your Twitter to see what you can win!


The second week of Tim's drug trial was last week and things were going well until Thurs night. Tim got a pain in his back/side and it went up to his shoulder/neck on his right side. So when he was still in pain on Friday morning I called his primary doc for an appt. His doc examined him and then prescribed a muscle relaxer. Well by Sunday he wasn't any better, so he called into work. He didn't look good, was sweaty and in a lot of pain. By the time I was ready to go to Adrian to get Mitch he had a fever. He wouldn't let me call 911 so I asked his sister to come over while I ran to get Mitch. On Monday he was to go to Karmanos to have a check up. I had to get a wheelchair to get him up to the fifth floor. Since he wasn't doing well they had to take cultures and then the PA came and checked him out and then sent him for a chest xray and also requested a sinus xray as well. Well when they got that all back and she conferred with the oncology doc they diagnosed him with pneumonia. So he was off work through yesterday and returned to work today. Today was supposed to be OT to make up for missed time. I keep worrying about not working, but then I've also been able to be there and support Tim through all this, so there is definitely a reason I'm still unemployed. On Monday Tim goes again for the drug trial but it will only be about a 3 hr day and we don't need to get there until 11am -noon. Then he'll go again the following week, after that they will do another CAT scan to see how things are going. So please keep Tim and all of us in your prayers.

Shameless Promo & we're still here...

Just wanted to drop by and let you know we're still here. Tim's drug trial is going well and he's in the second week of it. Monday he gets the drug but has to remain there for 12 hrs and have blood drawn hourly and urine collected. We packed food in a cooler last Monday for us only to find out he got breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hospital food of course, but still something. So this week Monday I packed less. Then he has to go back for 24, 48 and 72 hr blood draws and urine collection. So tomorrow is the 72 hr check of the second week. Next week he is off I believe...we're not sure if he has to go Monday or not, we'll make sure tomorrow. Then it starts again, but not long days like these past two weeks. One thing I can say for sure about Karmanos is they are super friendly and helpful! Employees say hi and good morning to you no matter where you are in the center. There are several hospitals all sort of connected. One side of the street is all hospitals and part of the other side is Wayne State University. Trying to talk Mitch into going there since they have a theater program...hey Mitch whaddya think? :). Speaking of Mitch he's in tech/dress rehearsal week, the musical opens this Friday. We're thinking about waiting til next weekend to go see him.

He's been lucky enough to carpool this past month. This weekend may be a little different though as the driver has lots of other things going on as well. Waiting for him to call so I can go pick him up nearby -- in MI just over the border. Lots and lots of driving lately.

Did do some cards on Sunday night and Monday while at KCC. Used the One Sheet Wonder method and so far have 10 cards put together. Gosh the cards are so much easier to make this way. Plan on sending these to cardsforheroes. Cardsforheroes.org is an awesome charity that collects handmade cards to send to those in the service so they have cards to send to their family and friends. While I was making cards at KCC on Monday I was asked if I scrapbook and I said yes, but right now I am making cards. I then let them know they were for cardsforheroes and they said they'd let their granddaughter who scrapbooks know about it. I said yes it's an easy cause to donate to as most scrapbookers have everything they need to make cards. Of course some new paper now and then is always fun! You should really check them out and see what kind of challenges they have going. I know there is a Christmas in July challenge. I'll post the cards I've got done on my next post. Things will slow down a bit the next few days and I'll be able to catch up a bit :D. Here is a video you can check out about CFH (click the word video). I'll put a blinkie link on the right side of my blog for the Christmas Card challenge just click the blinkie and it should take you to the challenge info.

Hope you all are having a great week! Take Care
Hugs,
Carm

Croswell LO

I finally finished my layout of the Croswell Opera House in Adrian, MI. I had been thinking of what current photos could be used with the wonderful Graphic 45 paper and I remembered the pix of the Croswell and some of the storefronts nearby. So I looked at some sketches and tried to come up with some idea of what I wanted to do. I liked the paper I chose one from Fashionista, one from Communique and then the Collage Press shaped paper sealed it! I did lots of distressing with inks, the metal edge of a ruler and an emery board. Of course I had to do some paper tearing too, to make it look extra distressed! At first I had a semi circle around the photos, but then thought of my grungeboard and voila! I inked the grungeboard with Fired Brick distress ink and then inked it with Vintage Photo for a deeper distressed look. I put that all down and then remembered the mini bingo cards from Jenni Bowlin Studios and had to add one. The Walt Disney quote is from the Communique paper. I had hoped to have more layers...but am pretty happy with the end result. Sometimes I think it's hard for me to do all the frou frou stuff because I have boys and was a bit of a tomboy myself. Who knows??
June 4 Tim will be starting all the prep for the drug trial(s) he will be in. They are either Stage 1 or Stage 2 trials. So it will be back up to Karmanos for that. June 12 he is going to have genetic counseling done. He is to get all his family's health information and cause of death and age at death I think. Then he will have a genetic family tree for his son and the rest of his family. One thing good is Karmanos has about 60 drug trials for the cancer Tim has been dealing with so if one isn't working they will move him onto the next. He saw his Chemotherapy Oncologist on Friday and he let Tim know that if he needs anything to give the clinic a call. The sad thing is that his oncologist will be retiring in June. But there are other well qualified oncologists in the clinic that will be able to help us out. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Also, remember the Cutest Craft Giveaway at The Original Scrapbox. You can vote for me once a day! I would so love to win that awesome EZ View Desk. Look at all the storage space in that wonderful piece of furniture. Gosh I think that would help me to be more organized. I mean I bought a microwave stand to hold our George Foreman grill and also have a place to put staple items like canned goods and pasta in the cabinet underneath. Well the George Foreman isn't on the stand. You know whats on the stand? You guessed it scrapbook stuff! Because my laptop is at my scrap table and needs to be used by Mitch for school and occasionally by Noah to contact friends. In order to scrap/make cards I have some of my stuff in the dining room so I can work on the table there!

Well that's it for now. I hope you're all having a wonderful long weekend! Tomorrow evening we're headed over to my friend Priscilla's for a cookout. Oh and I just want to mention that you should check out the Hero Arts Blog on Monday. They are looking for those who are willing to help out Cards for Heroes and "have something really cool up their sleeves." I'm sure I'll be there as I feel Cards for Heroes is an AWESOME cause!

Goodies

Well I've been told I should post my experience at Scrappy Chic and the goodies I got. Thanks honey! We stopped at Scrappy Chic in Livonia MI on our way to Karmanos Cancer Center on Thursday. When I walked in I was greeted and then so were the guys, I think the clerk was surprised to see two men with me! Mitch joined us for the trip. I looked around a bit and she asked me if I was looking for something in particular and I said yes, the Graphic 45 paper. So she showed me where it was and I picked up what I thought I could use. I'm hoping to use it for some vintage photos. So family please scan and send some vintage photos to me. smiles. I also have been looking on sb.com to see what other people are using their Graphic 45 paper for and see that some are using it for current photos too. Scrappy Chic is just full of goodies and it took awhile to pick out what I wanted. I had some coupons so I knew for sure a couple of things I wanted to pick up. I saw a Crafty Secrets stamp set I wanted. I know only the pkg is shown in the photo because I'm already trying to create something with it and I want it to be a surprise. I also like Scrappy Chic because they carry paper lines that you don't see to often in scrapbook stores or at least not the ones I've been to. In Toledo and just over the border into MI all the scrapbook stores have closed. There are only big box stores like: Michael's, Hobby Lobby and JoAnn fabrics. There is a woman who has a store in her basement that I go to once in awhile, but she is only open once a week and although she has quite a bit of goodies she doesn't have the room for a lot of different stuff. Ok back to the goodies, I also got some mini bingo cards from Jenni Bowlin, some Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday and a CC spinner card. I think it's cute because you can use it for your layout theme/journaling. I also picked up two shaped papers from Collage Press. My biggest purchase that doe was the Scor-Pal. I've been wanting one for awhile, but didn't really want to order it and pay shipping. So just before check out I picked it up and decided to use one of my coupons for that. I think my cards will look a bit more professional with it. My dear friend Carolyn says I will use it a lot. She said at first she didn't remember to use hers, but once she started she said she uses it all the time now. If you stop by her blog PMS, Etc. you will see the cute backpack she created with her Scor_Pal. So here are the goodies:



I'm sure we'll stop at Scrappy Chic every so often as Tim has committed to going to Karmanos for the drug trials. They offer 60 different drug trials, way more than the two offered at Cleveland Clinic. Karmanos Cancer Center is at Wayne State University in Detroit MI. While we were there I told Mitch that Wayne State does offer a theater program. He said he wouldn't mind living in Detroit. We also noticed that the planetarium is right there and they have a Star Trek exhibit until September of this year, so I'm sure we'll go there for a visit too. We took the camera along, however the batteries decided to die before I could take my first photo! I looked before we left to see if we had batteries to take along, but couldn't find any. However, as you know the photo above was taken with a camera...I found some batteries and even set the settings on the camera this time. It's Tim's camera so I'm always a bit wary of settings, etc. I don't want to break or harm anything!

Well that's it, I just want to say I really enjoyed my visit at Scrappy Chic. I think the gal was very friendly and helpful. Hope you have a wonderful Saturday! It's gloomy and wet around here. The wind looks like it's picking up too. Oh well I guess it's a good day to play with my goodies! :D

Today

we are headed to Karmanos Cancer Center in Detroit MI. Tim was told in early April by his Chemo doc that the chemo is no longer working on the lesions on his lungs. He recommended that he go to Cleveland Clinic and see what drug trials they had there to offer him. So we went on April 27 and talked to Dr. Pelley and found out there are two drug trials. One of them would require more time in Cleveland and since Tim is still working that may not be the best choice. The second one only requires two full days spent in Cleveland. Cleveland is about a 2 hr drive from Toledo. So Dr. Pelley recommended that we go to Karmanos in Detroit. Dr. Pelley also recommended that Tim be treated with either stage 1 or stage 2 drug trials. Detroit is only about an hour from Toledo. So we'll see what they have to say about 5 hours from now. The one thing that the doctors keep saying is that Tim is healthy other than the cancer. Yes, if you look at him you wouldn't know he had cancer. So please keep Tim in your thoughts and prayers that we can find a drug trial that will work.

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I'm hoping to stop at Scrappy Chic in Livonia, MI today. Scrappy Chic is the LSS where the very talented Staci Compher (cflattop)is a DT member. She always posts what great goodies she finds there, so I keep thinking I gotta get there one of these days. Click either or both of the links to find out more about them. Well since we'll be up in the area today I'm hoping we get a chance to stop. I would love to get my hands on some of the awesome Graphic 45 paper. Click the link to see the paper! I have a few vintage photos that I think would be awesome with this paper.

Well that's it for today, hopefully I'll be creative this weekend. I have a couple of ideas swirling in my head and hope to get them completed or at least tried very soon. Oh and my mom called last night she finally got her mother's day package and was excited about the card organizer and cards. I'll have to post the photo later. I'm working on one for my cousin too, so hopefully I can post both. Hope you have a fabulous Thursday! It's raining here...and they say later this morning it'll stop so let's hope it does before we leave!